Project Summary/Abstract The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) submits this proposal to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Scientific Conference Grant Program (R13), FOA Number: PAR-16-378. Grant assistance will be used to develop, administer, and conduct a four-day educational conference, ?NEHA's 81st Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition.? The 2017 AEC will take place July 10-13 (with two additional days of meetings and workshops) at the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton in Grand Rapids, Michigan. NEHA anticipates an estimated cost of $740,000.00 for the AEC and is requesting assistance in the amount of $25,000, which represents less than 3% of the estimated total AEC costs. NEHA requests funding to assist with audio/visual costs to provide high quality education and training. The AEC is designed to educate, train, and advance environmental health (EH) professionals, as well as build a professional network, exchange information, and discover new and practical solutions to food safety and defense and other EH issues. The AEC meets the needs of both those who have a specialty, such as food safety, as well as ?generalists? that provide a broader area of EH services. The AEC brings together about 850 state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal EH and public health professionals from health and environmental agencies, as well as private industry, academia, uniformed services, and international jurisdictions. The AEC will provide a means to translate field-based research into action on food safety and other EH topics and address environmental exposures and health risks. The AEC will build the capacity of EH professionals and their organizations to perform essential functions, solve problems, and define and achieve objectives. NEHA will keep EH professionals up-to-date, relevant, and highly competent in their roles through the provision of continuing education, credential maintenance, and professional development opportunities. The 2017 AEC theme is ?Local Solutions National Influence? with focus on local and regional area education and presentations addressing food safety and EH issues. ORA's vision that ?all food is safe?and the public health is advanced and protected,? as well as its mission to protect consumers and enhance public health by maximizing compliance and minimizing risk?aligns with NEHA's mission ?to advance the EH professional for the purpose of providing a healthful environment for all.? Both missions are embodied in the AEC.